My mother hired an attorney to do something for her. She spoke to her on the phone and was told a price. When she arrived at the office, she was told it was going to cost $300 MORE. My mother went ahead and agreed to it (before consulting me b/c I would have told her to forget it). My mother goes in for another meeting with her and is told she owes another $700. I know this is against the law----I'm thinking the Consumer Fraud Act. Am I right about this or am I just making something out of nothing? I think she's ripping my mother off because she's 62 years old. Should I take this to another lawyer and see about suing this lawyer? I'm thinking about having a talk with her myself. I won't let her do this to my mother.
2006-07-28 14:57:50 · 13 answers · asked by Cindy R 1 in Politics & Government ➔ Law & Ethics
I think some people on here post answers just to get points. Rob her back? What does 1 mean? I'm serious about this. She is ripping her off because she keeps changing everything---the price, what she tells her, etc. I should have just gone with my own instinct instead of asking people on here that just want to goof off and get points.
2006-07-28 15:06:07 · update #1
Okay. Let me break it down for everyone. She was told the original amount was the TOTAL amount she'd pay. There wasn't any hourly rates or anything. It was a one fee of what she originally said. She keeps adding more. I contacted a lawyer about it and she is breaking the law. I no longer need any opinions on here since I contacted the lawyer. So yeah....I WAS RIGHT.
2006-07-29 09:11:39 · update #2
http://justicedenied.homestead.com/corruptlawyers.html
http://www.crooked-lawyers.net/
http://www.consumerlaw.com/legalmal.html
http://www.abanet.org/
2006-07-28 15:03:44 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
There are a lot of factors involved in this. You are only getting one part of the story. Is the question your mother was asking the same question she asked when she showed up at the office that day? Did your mother want additional consultation or ask about an entirely different matter the next time?
In any case, you should tell your mother not to hire any lawyer until she signs a written retainer, stating the fees for services and what services will be performed on her behalf. If there is any question about whether the lawyer is actually performing the said services, a complaint can be laid against the lawyer or in Canada, one can ask a court official to "assess" the lawyer's accounts to make sure they are reasonable.
2006-07-28 17:30:20 · answer #2 · answered by Angela B 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Is your mother suffering from any mental issues??
My mom is 65, and God help the person that even tries to rip her off. She would get them first! That Irish temper would flare up, and then watch out!
What was she going in for? What the lawyer might have been requesting was the hourly rate of a certain task, the $300 was a retainer, and then the $700 could have been more hourly billing and/or cost for filing.
I would request exactly what was done, and a breakdown on the actual billing. If you still feel she was cheated, then see another lawyer or speak to the local BAR. If the lawyer is doing it to your mom, they have more than likely done it to someone else, and someone complained to the right people. If not, file a complaint with the BAR, because that is an offense that the lawyer could be disbarred as well as prosecuted.
Good luck!!
2006-07-28 15:08:24 · answer #3 · answered by volleyballchick (cowards block) 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You can either contact and complain to the bar association, or you can hire a different lawyer for two purposes - one is for the original reason she went to a lawyer, and actually yes there are lawyers who specialize in cases involving other unethical lawyers. But you question leaves some things out. The first quote that the lawyer gave her may have been the hourly rate. But rates can also be affected by the kind of additional work that may need to be done on a case. For example, if the lawyer needs to employ someone else - an expert or a paralegal - or subpoena records or files, or conduct depositions, etc, these can boost fees. So it's hard to know from your question what reasoning the lawyer may have given for the change of fees.
2006-07-28 15:07:06 · answer #4 · answered by nothing 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, don't sue the lawyer. File a complaint against the lawyer at the county legal review board. Check in the yellow pages under local government or call the county court to find out how to make a complaint.
You should be aware that lawyers do charge for their time and you may have to show that the legal work was done just to pad the bill.
2006-07-28 15:01:12 · answer #5 · answered by Answer Man 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Before you get all upset why don't you speak to this lawyer yourself and ask for a break-down of the monies your mother is to pay. If you still feel your mother is being cheated, then you consult the Bar Association in the county and state where you live and they will refer the case to the Attorney Ethics Committee if they find that something is wrong.
2006-07-28 15:02:09 · answer #6 · answered by New York Mama 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Is your mother asking for more services. Is the case going from one level to another level. At a few hundred dollars a hour it is not hard to start racking up large bills.
What is the lawyer doing for her, that will deterimine if the payment is incorrect.
2006-07-28 16:31:47 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
she would be in a position of get a lawyer, yet legally she remains required to pay the effective with the aid of fact this is legally her automobile. optimistically she has a credit card she would be in a position of pay the $2,six hundred with. She ought to take your sister to courtroom and have her wages garnished for the bills (digital camera expenses and motor vehicle own loan funds). this is a foul mess she's in. and now her credit is going to be ruined if she stops paying the automobile own loan on the motor vehicle (that keeps to be no longer paid off & totalled).
2016-10-08 11:04:22 · answer #8 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
you should get another lawyer to sue the first one... that be interesting... if she signed something in contract knowingly then theres nothing you can do.. but if it was just spoken then talk to another lawyer... different states also have different fraud laws... it would be good to get a second opinion
2006-07-28 15:03:04 · answer #9 · answered by underagelying 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Your mother is an adult and capable of making decisions. If she is mentally incapacitated, then taking money from her would probably be illegal, but otherwise I don't think you have a case. My Grandma is 81 and she wouldn't get ripped off like that.
2006-07-29 08:59:54 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
That's what lawyers do, it is in their nature
2006-07-28 15:06:21 · answer #11 · answered by class4 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋